Rep. Wendi Thomas’ (R-Bucks) Healthcare Heroes legislation has unanimously passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The bill passed the House in June.
“The pandemic demonstrated what we’ve known for so long,” Thomas said. “We must commit more resources to tackling the mental health challenges of our health care workers, first responders and other front-line workers. And we must help their families know there is help available.”
Last year, during a hearing of the House Mental Health Caucus, Thomas, who co-chairs the caucus, took testimony from health care workers and hospital administrators on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health of medical professionals.
House Bill 1420 would direct the Department of Human Services to establish a public awareness campaign to provide information regarding the programs and services available for first responders, health care workers and other front-line workers suffering from mental health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those issues include, but are not limited to, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and substance use disorder.
The bill now moves to the whole Senate for consideration.
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